| Place | Oceania: Australia, Queensland, North Queensland, Torres Strait, Badu (Mulgrave Island) |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | AWM2016.401.4 |
| Collection type | Art |
| Measurement | Sheet: 1070 x 1245 mm; Image: 801 x 998 mm |
| Object type | |
| Physical description | lino print |
| Maker |
Nona, Matilda |
| Place made | Australia: Queensland, North Queensland, Torres Strait, Badu (Mulgrave Island) |
| Date made | 2016 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 Period 2010-2019 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: AWM Licensed copyright |
Kuyurudh [arrow head formation]
Description
'Through this print I tell of my connection to the World War 2 stories. Through the eyes of the island women on ground, planes were seen passing above in the formation of the arrow. This formation is seen through all the dances choreographed for those times. The soldier on the left is paying his respect to the fallen veterans of World War 2. These veterans are the crosses shown in the middle. This soldier also represents the young registered soldier in todays army. My Grandfathers and godfather all served during World War 2. The rays of the sun depict different cultural meanings. The markings like those of the mat weavings represent myself as an artist. These patterns I have repeatedly used as a signature symbol. The other rays represent the uprising of our ancestral spirits who served. Our spiritual ancestors presence are still felt by our community today.' Matilda Nona, 2016.
In 2015 the Australian War Memorial commissioned five artists working at Badhulgaw Kuthinaw Mudh (Badu Art Centre) on Badu Island in the Torres Straits to create a suite of lino prints that interpret the experience of the Second World War and its legacy for their community. Matilda Nona is one of the emerging artists working at Badu Art Centre and is quickly establishing herself as an artist with a strong sense of design and line. In 2015 Matilda became the first female artist to cut a lino over two meters long.